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-(No Model.)

P. T. DODGE. TYPE GOMPOSING MECHANISM.

No. 444,294. Patented Jan. 6, 1891.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PHILIP DODGE, OF \VASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

TYPE-COMPOSING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 444,294, dated January 6, 1891.

Application filed November 11, 1889. Serial No. 329|928. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, PHILIP T. DODGE, of IVashington, in the District of Golu mbia, have invented certain Improvements in Type-Composing Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to mechanism controlled by finger-keys for delivering matrices or type from magazines or holders preparatory to their being assembled in line. As these mechanisms are commonly con structed it is necessary for the operator to depress the key to the full limit of its stroke with a slight dwell at the finish.

In practice it' is found that all rapid operators are liable to touch the keys occasionally with a sudden or abrupt stroke without fully depressing them, and that consequently there is a frequent failure to deliver the type. It is the aim of my invention to overcome this difficulty and insure the complete and sufficiently slow movement of the finger-key or mechanism connected therewith, although the key may be but partly depressed by the operator.

To this end my invention consists, broadly, in combining with finger-keys and a typedelivering mechanism connected therewith power mechanism by which the movement of the parts is completed after it has been initiated by the finger-key.

I prefer to connect my mechanism with the delivery mechanism which receives motion from the finger-keys; but it may be combined directly with the finger-keys.

For the purposes of illustration I have shown my improvement embodied in a typedelivering mechanism of the form illustrated in- Letters Patent of the United States issued to Ottmar Mergenthaler February 28, 1888, No. 378,7 98; but it is to be understood that it is not limited in its application to this form of machine. I

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating the type-delivering mechanism with my improvement applied thereto, portions of the frame-work being shown in section. 'Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing on a larger scale the principal parts of my attachment. Fig. I is a perspective view showing the same in another form. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of still another form of the attachment.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a finger-keyfulcrumed midway of its length, or thereabout, and acting at its rear end to lift a vertically-movable rod B,which in turn acts through an intermediate lever O to depress a vertically-movable slide D, mounted 011 the lower end of a magazine-tube E. The lifting of the slide is elfected by a spring G connected to its actuating-lever. The slide Dis provided with a spring-catch (Z to eject the matrix positively from the lower end of the magazine-tube. Avibrating escapement-lever F, pivoted midway of its length, is acted upon by the slide and serves to release the matrices one at a time. v

The foregoing parts are identical with those in the Mergenthaler patent, and are not claimed herein. The magazine tubes, the rods, and the keys are arranged, as shown, side by side.

In applying my improvement in the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2, I extend a roll G, preferably covered with rubber, horizontally across the machineadjacent to the vertical rods B, mounting it in suitable bearings and connecting it with any suitable part of the machine or an independent motor for giving it a constant rotary motion in the direction indicated. I provide each of the vertical rods with a projecting arm h, and to the end-of this arm directly over the roll I connect bya horizontal pivot a gravitating eccentric H, which stands normally at rest, bearing freely on top of the roller other support. Whenever the finger-key is actuated so as to slightly raise the red, the pivot of the eccentric is raised with the rod and the eccentric drops until its lower edge engages the roll which acts to impart a rotary motion thereto, the result of which is that the eccentric riding upon the roll forces the vertical rod upward, thus continuing its movementto the full extent required, although the finger-key may be instantly released. As the rod reaches the proper limit of motion the highestportion of the eccentric passes over the top of the roll, as indicated by dotted lines, whereupon the rod is permitted to fall and the inner portion of the eccentric-=that is to say, the portion nearest the center permitted to bear upon the roll, by which the rotation of the eccentric is continued until it returns to its original position. It will be observed that the one roll serves to operate the entire series of rods and the type-discharging devices connected therewith, and that a number of rods may be lifted by the roll at one time in the order in which their finger-keys were operated, the several rods being in diiterent stages of elevation, insuring the delivery of the type in the same order that thckeys were touched.

Referring now to the arrangement shown in Fig. i, the roll is mounted and driven as before; but in place of the eccentric I pivot to each rod a gravitating dog I, having one edge roughened or serrated to engage the roll. Behind the rod I arrange spring-switches J to act upon the dogs, one for each dog. These switches consist each of a spring-arm fixed at its lower end and. provided at its upper end with a laterally-projecting portionj, bent as shown. The parts stand normally in the po sition shown by full lines, the dogs standing out of contact with the roll. \Yhen the rod is raised by the finger-key, it carries the dog upward with it until the pin t on the side of the dog encounters the switch, which acts to force the edge of the dog into engagement with the roll, whereupon the roll acts through the dog to continue the upward movement of the dog. As the rod completes its ascent, the pm on the dog is carried above the switch, which springs forward. The dog being thus released from its engagement with the roll permits the rod to descend. In so doing the dog is carried downward with its pin behind the switch, by which it is held out of engagement until it assumes its original position.

In Fig. 5 I have represented an eccentric attached to the finger-key instead of arod operated upon by a continuously-operating roll. The action of this arrangement is identical with that first described, except that the devices act to effect the movement of the key instead of acting directly on the rod. Any catch or engaging device connected with any part of the ejecting mechanism and adapted to engage a roll or other power mechanism when the parts are started by the linger-key is to be considered an equivalent of the m echanism herein shown.

I propose to use in connection with the delivery-slide D, as herein shown, an inclined open channel or conductor K, into which the matrices are delivered, through which they descend one after another in order to be assembled side by side in line at its lower end. In the lower part of the conductor I stretch longitudinally two wires 70, which are engaged by the shoulders on the lower ends of the matrices, so that the matrices are held down to their places within the channel while moving therethrough under the influence of a blast of air introduced by a pipe L at the upper end of the channel. This conductingchannel, the wires therein, and the blast devices for advancing the matrix thcrcthrongh may be identical with those described in the Mergenthaler patent, No. 378,798, and are not separately claimed herein.

One of the chief advantages of my construction lies in the fact that it insures the positive carrying down of the matrices until they are properly engaged with the retainingavires.

\Vhilc I have shown herein the preferred form of mechanism for delivering the type from the magazine, itis to be understood that my improvements may be used in connection with any other suitable form of delivering mechanism or escapement mechanism at the mouth of the type-magazine. Many such mechanisms the mechanical equivalent of that herein shown are now known in the art, and are therefore to be considered the equivalents of the mechanism recited in the claims.

The words mechanism and discharge mechanism asherein employed are intended to include any and all known structures which retain assorted type or matrices in series and deliver them as demanded one at a time.

It is to be particularly noticed that in my mechanism the finger-keys are all free to be operated at any time, that the operation of one key is not dependent upon or compelled to await the action of another, that the operation of two or more keys and their connections may be carried on at one and the same time, and that the delivery of the type must occur in the order in which the keys are operated. Under my system the finger-keys may be operated in very rapid succession, with the assurance that the type will be dis charged in the order in which the keys are touched.

I believe myself to be the first to combine with linger-keys and type-discharging devices a mechanism by which the actions of the discharging devices are completed by power mechanism in the order in which they are initiated, and the first to combine with a series of fingei key mechanisms at power mechanism which will permit each key to be operated at any time and permit one key mechanism to commence its action before the action. of another is completed.

My invention does not include, andI do not wish to be understood as claiming, a mechanism in which each keyis combinedindependently with an actuating-spring in such inanner that the spring will act to suddenly complete the motion after the key has been moved a certain distance, as in the application of Ottmar lllergenthaler, filed November 11, 1889.

My invention is limited to a machine in which the movement of the parts, initiated by the tiugenkey, is completed by power median-- ism, by which expression as used herein I mean mechanism actuated by a constant poweras distinguished from power applied or accumulated by the operator through the finger-keys, as in the said Mergenthalcr applicaion.

Having thus described my invention, what- I claim is 1. Incombination with a type-deliverin g device, a finger-key through which the same is actuated, and a power mechanism called into action by theinitial movement of the key and acting in its turn to complete the action of the delivering devices in the event of the key being prematurely released, whereby the operation of a key at anytime is permitted and the complete action of the discharging device is secured in every instance.

2. In combination with a finger-key free to be actuated at any time and amechanism which receives an initial movement therefrom, a constantly-rotating driving device arranged to automatically complete the action of said mechanism in the event of the key being prematurely released by the operator.

3. A series of type-discharging devices, in combination with corresponding finger-keys, each tree to be operated at will, and a constantly-rotating mechanism common to the series of discharging devices, whereby their movements, initiated by the finger-keys, are completed in the order in which the keys are actuated.

4. In combination with the magazine-tube, the type-ej ecting slide, the finger-key to actuate the slide, the constantly-rotating roll, and a device, substantially as shown, to engage the roll and continue the action of the slide when the key is but partially depressed.

5. The ejecting-slide, the finger-key, and the intermediate rod through which the slide is actuated, in combination with the eccentric movable bodily by the action of the key and the constantly-revolvin g roll.

6. The ejecting-slide, the shouldered matrices,the receiving channel or conductor, and the detaining-wires therein, as usual, in combination with the finger-key to actuate the slide to deliver the type, and power mechanism, substantially as shown, to positively contin ue the motion of the slide after being started by the key until the matrix engages the wire. 1

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand, this 9th day of November, 1889, in the presence of two attesting witnesses.

PHILIP T. DODGE. lVitnesses:

W. R. KENNEDY, \V. W. MORTIMER. 

